Queen's Park, Chesterfield

Queen's Park
Ground information
Location Chesterfield
Establishment 1898
Capacity 7,000
End names
Lake End
Pavilion End
Domestic team information
Derbyshire (1898 – 1998)
Derbyshire (2006 – present)

Queen's Park is a county cricket ground located in Chesterfield, Derbyshire, England and lies within a park in the centre of the town established for Queen Victoria's diamond jubilee in 1897. It is among the most attractive cricket grounds in the world, with a small pavilion and surrounded by mature trees.[1]

The park is the home of Chesterfield CC and also played home to Derbyshire CCC for 100 years between 1898 and 1998, before the county team returned in 2006 after an 8 year absence.[2] It was at one time surrounded by a banked cycle track. It is a small ground and slow to dry after rain, thus can provide a green wicket. The size of the ground however, lends itself to rapid scoring on good wickets.

Contents

History

There was an unusual incident during the County Championship match between Derbyshire and Yorkshire in mid-1946. After two overs were bowled in the Derbyshire first innings, Yorkshire captain Len Hutton asked for the length of the pitch to be measured. It was found to be 24 yards long, instead of the regulation 22 yards. The pitch was correctly reset, and the game continued.[3]

The return of County Cricket

After a century of first-class cricket at Chesterfield between 1898 and 1998, the next seven seasons saw Derbyshire play no First Class or List A matches on the ground.

However, following a multi-million pound refurbishment and upgrade of the entire park including the cricketing facilities,[4] Derbyshire returned by taking on Worcestershire in a County Championship Division Two game between 26 and 29 July. The game ended in a draw, with Australian Marcus North avoiding defeat for the home side by scoring 161 runs, including 24 boundaries. Attendances for all four days was high, and saw Derbyshire announce a four year deal to play County Cricket at the ground soon after the game.[5]

The Sunday then saw a visit from a star-studded Surrey Brown Caps side and despite a heavy loss, a large crowd were treated to some entertainment by Surrey batsman Ali Brown who scored 106 from just 68 deliveries.[6]

2007 festival

The 2007 festival was scheduled to run from 25 to 29 of July and would have consisted of a four day Liverpool Victoria County Championship game against Somerset and the NatWest Pro 40 opener against Kent Spitfires. Both of these matches were moved to Derbyshire's regular ground in Derby due to the Queen's Park ground being waterlogged. Instead, the festival began with the NatWest Pro 40 game against Durham Dynamos on 4 September[7] and saw Durham win convincingly by seven wickets.[8] The festival continued with the Liverpool Victoria County Championship game against Nottinghamshire from 6 to 9 September, where Nottinghamshire won by an innings and six runs inside three days. Nottinghamshire skipper Stephen Fleming helped the visitors to the win, scoring 243 runs, including 40 fours.[9]

First Class Records at Queen's Park

Notation

Team notation
Batting Notation
Bowling Notation

Team scoring records

Most runs in an innings
Runs Teams Season
662 Yorkshire (v Derbyshire) 1898
552 Derbyshire (v Essex) 1928
Source: CricketArchive.com. Last updated: 6 October 2008.
Fewest runs in a completed innings
Runs Teams Season
29 Middlesex (v Derbyshire) 1957
30 Derbyshire (v Nottinghamshire) 1913
Source: CricketArchive.com. Last updated: 6 October 2008.

Batting records

Highest individual score
Runs Player Opponent Season
343* Percy Perrin (Essex) v Derbyshire 1904
Source: CricketArchive.com. Last updated: 6 October 2008.
Highest partnership
Runs Team Players Opposition Season
554 (1st wicket) Yorkshire Jack Brown (300) John Tunnicliffe (243) v Derbyshire 1898
Source: CricketArchive.com. Last updated: 6 October 2008.

Bowling records

Best figures in an innings
Bowling Player Opponent Season
10-66 Ken Graveney (Gloucestershire) v Derbyshire 1949
Source: CricketArchive.com. Last updated: 6 October 2008.
Best figures in a match
Bowling Player Opponent Season
14-48 Archibald Slater (Derbyshire) v Somerset 1930
Source: CricketArchive.com. Last updated: 6 October 2008.

References

  1. ^ a b "Grounds - Queen's Park, Chesterfield". Cricinfo. http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/ground/56905.html. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 
  2. ^ "Derbyshire CCC - Queen's Park at Chesterfield". Derbyshire County Cricket Club. http://www.derbyshireccc.com/servlets/template?FILE=queens&BROWSER=IE&LANG=EN&WEBBASE=/derbyshireccc&navid=500. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 
  3. ^ Brodribb, Gerald (1995). Next Man In: A Survey of Cricket Laws and Customs (New 2nd Revised ed.). London: Souvenir Press. ISBN 978-0285632943. 
  4. ^ "Queen's Park Chesterfield at Queen's Park". Visit Chesterfield. http://www.visitchesterfield.info/dms-derbyshire.asp?dms=13&venue=6011160. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 
  5. ^ "Derbyshire v Worcestershire at Chesterfield on 26th to 29th July". Derbyshire County Cricket Club. 2008-07-26. http://www.derbyshireccc.com/servlets/template?FILE=news_matchreports_full&SID=15102291521331239483417&navid=220&fixtures_id=32. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 
  6. ^ "Derbyshire v Surrey at Chesterfield on 30th July 2006". Derbyshire County Cricket Club. 2006-07-30. http://www.derbyshireccc.com/servlets/template?FILE=news_matchreports_full&SID=15102291521331239483417&navid=220&fixtures_id=33. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 
  7. ^ "Derbyshire reschedule Chesterfield festival". Cricinfo. 2007-07-25. http://content-uk.cricinfo.com/england/content/story/303580.html. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 
  8. ^ "Derbyshire v Durham at Chesterfield on 4th September". Derbyshire County Cricket Club. 2007-09-04. http://www.derbyshireccc.com/servlets/template?FILE=news_matchreports_full&SID=15102291521331239483417&navid=220&fixtures_id=99. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 
  9. ^ "Derbyshire v Nottinghamshire at Chesterfield on 6 to 8 September". Derbyshire County Cricket Club. 2007-09-06. http://www.derbyshireccc.com/servlets/template?FILE=news_matchreports_full&SID=15102291521331239483417&navid=220&fixtures_id=100. Retrieved 2008-10-05. 

External links